Four candidates face off for two Santa Clara council seats

Santa Clara City Council representation is about to change in Districts 2 and 3, with both councilmembers terming out in December  — and the open seats each have two new challengers.

Yvonne Inciarte and Kimberley Williams will be vying for the District 2 seat held by Councilmember Raj Chahal, while Eric Crutchlow and Kyle Madej will compete for Councilmember Karen Hardy’s District 3 seat. Hardy, who terms out in December, has decided to run for mayor.

All the candidates have emphasized affordable housing, quality of life, public safety and aging infrastructure among some of their top priorities.

Here are the candidates by district and in alphabetical order by last name.

District 2

Yvonne Inciarte

Yvonne Inciarte, 37, is a longtime Santa Clara resident and first-generation college graduate who has worked in government and community affairs. She served as director of intergovernmental strategy for Congressman Ro Khanna, working with local governments, community organizations and federal agencies. She also serves on Santa Clara’s Historical and Landmarks Commission, Chief’s Advisory Committee and Economic Development Committee, as well as on the board of the West Valley-Mission College Foundation.

Inciarte’s campaign focuses on housing affordability, public safety, fiscal responsibility, infrastructure and economic growth. She said she is running to represent the District 2 community where she grew up, particularly as housing costs and other barriers make it harder for working families to establish themselves in Santa Clara.

On city finances, Inciarte said Santa Clara’s budget deficit requires the council to make difficult decisions while protecting parks, services and community programs. She also wants the city to improve maintenance of sidewalks, streets and other infrastructure and make it easier for small businesses to operate.

Inciarte said her experience working with residents and government agencies has prepared her to bring a more transparent and accountable approach to City Hall.

“I want to make sure that there’s no language barriers, that everyone feels included,” she told San José Spotlight. “I have that experience. I don’t have to market it because I’ve been doing that.”

Kimberley Williams

Kimberley Williams, 48, has lived in Santa Clara for more than 18 years and has spent about a decade involved with local schools and parent organizations. She helped establish a PTA at Central Park Elementary and serves on the California State PTA Board of Managers and the Santa Clara Schools Foundation.

Williams said her experience advocating for students and families led her to seek the District 2 city council seat because education is connected to broader city issues including housing, parks, transportation, infrastructure and neighborhood safety.

She also wants to repair Santa Clara’s relationship with the San Francisco 49ers, arguing that Levi’s Stadium is a city asset and that the city and the team have responsibilities to maintain a productive relationship.

“I think that there is nobody on either side of that relationship that should be rooting for it to fail,” Williams told San José Spotlight. “I think that the 49ers have a responsibility to the city, and the city has a responsibility to the 49ers. And I think that we both have a responsibility to make sure that Levi’s Stadium is successful and that it’s beneficial to the residents of Santa Clara.”

Williams said she approaches disagreements by listening, asking questions and looking for areas of common ground. She said her experience working with parents, teachers and school administrators has taught her to explain complicated systems to residents while recognizing that not every request can be fulfilled.

District 3

Eric Crutchlow

Eric Crutchlow, 66, has lived in Santa Clara since 1984 and has worked in the technology industry for more than two decades, most recently at Lumen Technologies. He works as a product manager in cybersecurity, a field he has been in for about 25 years.

Crutchlow has been involved in city government by serving on the Planning Commission for about three years and is the current chair. He also served on the city’s Charter Review Committee, which he said gave him a deeper understanding of how the city government operates.

His campaign is focused on improving the city’s finances, maintaining infrastructure and increasing public participation in local government. Crutchlow said he wants to bring a more collaborative approach to the council, which he believes has become too divided.

Crutchlow said his top priority would be getting the city’s finances in order, arguing that Santa Clara needs to better plan and save for infrastructure maintenance and replacement rather than waiting until facilities deteriorate. He pointed to the International Swim Center as an example of what he sees as the city’s broader infrastructure challenges.

“There is a lot of tension among the individuals in the (city council). I think it’s not helpful in many ways,” Crutchlow told San José Spotlight. “You could look at the planning commission — night and day. We all respect each other. We come from different backgrounds and offer different views. But we always, always get a consensus. I have the experience, because I know all the players in the city and how the politics works.”

Kyle Madej

Kyle Madej, 45, is a Santa Clara native born and raised in District 3. His family has lived in the district since 1969, and he said he wants to preserve the neighborhoods, schools and quality of life that shaped his family. He has worked for the city and Santa Clara Unified School District and built a career as CEO of Sentinel Holdings Ltd. He operates security-services businesses including Gladiator Solutions and United Security Specialists.

Madej has spent more than a decade involved in youth sports, serving on the Briarwood Little League board for 12 years and as its president since 2023. He also serves on the Santa Clara Youth Soccer League board and has coached youth, high school and collegiate baseball and soccer. He said his experience in business and community organizations has taught him the importance of listening, building consensus and making responsible decisions.

His campaign’s priorities include expanding youth programs and recreational spaces, fully funding police, fire and emergency services, investing in District 3 neighborhoods, supporting small businesses and maintaining the city’s long-term fiscal stability. He also said the city should protect neighborhood character while upgrading infrastructure and making Santa Clara affordable for working families.

Madej is running because he believes Santa Clara is “at a tipping point” and that decisions made now will affect future generations. His campaign emphasizes his roots in District 3 and his experience working with families and young people through local sports programs.

“I am who I am, authentic, and I’m really trying to be a voice for the normal people who live here and not somebody who comes in and just creates policy,” Madej told San José Spotlight. “One of my strengths is building relationships, like building bridges between two opposing sides.”

Contact Maryanne Casas-Perez at [email protected] or @CasasPerezRed on X.